Power Rangers: Public Enemies Rewritten
by 100TenMillion
Summary: A rewrite of a fanfic I was once proud of. What will the Power Rangers do when Earth decides they no longer need heroes, but scapegoats?
1. Chapter 1

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 0: The start of it all**

How it all started is up for debate. Some say it started in 2009, when a villain named Mesogog Z had gathered the Crystal of Gaia and opened the portal to the Abyss of Evil, releasing all the villains the Power Rangers had defeated until that point. Others say it started as early as 1993, when the very first team of Rangers appeared for the first time. But what can be said for certain is that by 2012 it was in full swing.

That was the year the Power Rangers had finally managed to defeat the demon king known as Baal. A vampire named Maximov had managed to resurrect him, and it took the combined effort of every single Ranger team that existed up until that time to defeat him. The year was 2010. That was the year Baal had managed to destroy Angel Grove.

The damage done to the city was estimated at about 50 billion dollars. Many, many people lost their jobs. Unemployment shot up to a whopping 55% of the population. Tent cities became common sights across America. People starved. People rioted.

The politicians tried all they could to salvage the damage done by Maximov and his demons. However, the Democrats lost favor with the public, as they were the ones in power during this crisis. The Republicans were no better off, either. People saw them as opportunistic leeches who fed on the blame and failure of the Democrats. All hope seemed lost. And then, George Sears came into play.

George Sears was a business man who came from Angel Grove. Many who knew him thought he'd lost it all when his home town was destroyed. However, he surprised his friends and family with his gumption, and in 6 months he restored his wealth. He decided to run for President in the elections of 2012. He at first began with a 2% voter's confidence. Then he made his "Briarwood speech", where he laid out in full detail his plan for restoring America. His popularity shot up to 15% thanks to that speech. In Detroit, he gave several speeches establishing his plan for strengthening America, giving him a 33% voter's confidence. The week before elections, he had a 51% Voter's confidence. His victory was a sure thing.

On November 8th of 2012, George Sears became the first Independent Candidate to be voted into the Presidency. Within a year, thanks to his policies, unemployment dropped back to 19%.

His Presidency would spell disaster for the Power Rangers…

"My fellow Americans,"-George Sears gives his speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial- "You knew them as heroes. You knew them as saviors. You know them as the Power Rangers."

"Since 1993, the Power Rangers have saved the World from outside forces. Until 2 years ago, I would not have hesitated to call them heroes."

George Sears licked his lips as the cameras rolled. There was a slight nerve to how he reads his speech, hand written by him.

"Some of you may question where I am going with this,"-George Sears cleared his throat- "While it is true that the Powers Rangers constantly save the world, they do so with little regard to the property damage they cause."

"Take, for the greatest example we are capable of providing, the destruction of Angel Grove,"-George Sears continued- "We couldn't evacuate the city in time, but the Rangers never once tried to lure the demon king out of the city. For this, millions of us paid the price; some with our livelihoods, and some with their lives."

George Sears took out a large folder from his coat and opened it.

"Can we tolerate this? Are heroes excused from being reckless?"-George Sears continued- "In this folder, I have the damage estimates caused by Ranger activity, starting in 1993. The total damage is estimated to be at 7 trillion American dollars. With that money, America could have built schools, hospitals and roads! We could have fixed so much of our crumbling infrastructure! Instead, we waste that money fixing the damage caused by so called heroes!"

George Sears wiped the sweat off his brow, his hands trembling.

"In my mind, and this is the same for many of you I'm sure, I replay the same scenes over and over again,"- Sears sopke. "I see children dying of malnutrition. I see riots erupting, people dying of curable diseases, all in America! The greatest country on Earth! And all because we spent all our money fixing the mistakes done by spandex wearing...freaks!"

George Sears wiped some tears out of his eyes; it was evident he went a bit off script with that last outburst.

"Congress has issued a new bill, the Ranger Act,"-Sears explained- "It demands that all former and current Power Rangers turn in their 'Morphers' and register with the government. Any and all who resist shall be arrested and detained, charged with treason."

George Sears takes a pause in an attempt to calm his nerves.

"America deserves a better brand of hero. We need heroes that serve openly instead of hiding behind masks and visors. Heroes that answer to the people, not to themselves. That can stop the bad guys without dooming the rest of us to living in misery! My fellow Americans, God Bless America!" And thus ended Sear's speech.

I personally remember thinking of the Power Rangers as heroes. I looked up to them, admired them. I had always favored the original Mighty Morphing Rangers as the best of the best. I remember where I was in 1998, during the Countdown to Destruction. So, for me to hear that the Rangers were responsible for how miserable my life was in 2010... I find it hard to believe I accepted that idea so readily.

Then again, many people supported George Sears' idea. The Power Rangers dropped in popularity on that day. A poll that was conducted on the following day revealed that 35% of the nation directly blamed the Power Rangers for the crisis. 25% believed that the Rangers were blame free. Everyone else was unsure. A new Anti-Ranger sentiment was born.

I don't know how it began. No one is absolutely sure when it began, or how. All I know is, by 2012, it was in full swing.

The Power Rangers stopped being heroes. They were now enemies of the public…


	2. Chapter 2

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 1: The Ranger Act of 2013**

"So,"-Taylor paced around the empty parking lot- "I did it."

"I'm not surprised you registered first out of all the Rangers,"-said Carter- "You beat me to it. I registered this very morning."

"It's my duty as an American,"-she says- "I will do what the Government tells me to do, no questions."

"Whatever floats your boat," said Carter. "Personally, I just did it because, well, after what happened LAST YEAR, I think it's good that the Power Rangers have a little more accountability in regards to the property damage we cause."

"Yeah,"- said Taylor. She stopped pacing for a bit, eyeing the parking lot in Turtle Cove.

"Hard to believe, huh?"-Taylor leaned back on her car door- "Seven months ago, this was Little Windjig."

"Yep,"-Carter nodded his head.- "President Sears sure did a number on the economy. Most tent cities are things of the past now."

"Ugh, don't remind me of those times,"-Taylor said, disgusted- "I still have nightmares over what happened at Haiti's Daughter."

"I remember too,"-Carter thought back to that awful riot that occurred in the tent city of Haiti's Daughter...

 _Taylor was escorting three hundred people away from a fire that Carter was fighting to put out. With every passing moment, the fire consumed more tents, destroying what few possessions the inhabitants of Little Haiti could keep for themselves. As the fire reaches the medical provisions tent, Taylor rushes towards the medicine in hopes of saving the essentials. Unfortunately, losing sight of the inhabitants of Little Haiti proved to be a mistake, as many began to rush back towards their tents in hopes of saving their belongings. A gust of wind spread the fire wider, setting some people ablaze. Theirs screams fill the night air..._

"Thank God for George Sears,"-Taylor said, knocking Carter out of his flashback- "Otherwise, that would still be going on."

"You know that they are planning on rebuilding Angel Grove?'-Carter stated.

"I support that decision"-Taylor smiled- "When George Sears runs for President again, he has my vote."

"Mine too,"-Carter laughed.

"I wouldn't have given away my Morpher to any other President but him,"-she said.

"I know the feeling,"-said Carter- "I feel like I can trust the guy."

In Reefside, the Dino Thunder Rangers met up to discuss what to do regarding the Ranger Act...

"I just can't,"-said Ethan- "And I think I shouldn't have to be obligated to sign up!"

"But Ethan, be reasonable!"-Conner pleaded- "I mean… what harm could it do?"

"Conner, the three of us saved the world!"-Ethan argued- "Why does the Government come around telling us we have to give up our identities as Rangers, huh? I mean, we don't owe them! They owe us! And what they owe us is a chance to live peaceful lives!"

"But Ethan,"-Conner said- "Remember how bad shit was back in 2010? We couldn't do a thing. All that ended with Sears as president. It's thanks to him that the people can finally breathe in a sigh a relief."

"Maybe,"-Ethan said- "But my mind is made up. I'm not registering. The two of you can register if you want, I won't stop you. But I'm not going."

"Maybe I should register,"-Kira says- "I worked my ass off to get my career to where it is today. It survived 2010. I won't allow this Ranger Act to destroy it."

"What makes you think the Ranger Act will destroy your career?"-Ethan asked. "No one knows you're a Power Ranger."

"Well, it's just,"-Kira said- "The Overdrive Rangers know my identity. I have a feeling each of them will register. I mean, they HAVE to, everyone knows who they are! Anyway, when they register, the Government may ask them if they know any other Rangers that have not yet registered. Guess what comes next."

"Shit,"-Ethan buried his head in his hands.

At Hartford Manor...

Mackenzie Hartford sat at the head of the main dining room table, which was covered in the hate mail his teammates had received. To his right sat Dax Lo, whose eyes are covered in dark circles due to lack of sleep for the past five days. Beside Dax sat Ronny, whose hair was disheveled, her eyes no longer shining with the brimming youth and enthusiasm from her days on Operation Overdrive. To Mack's left sat his fiancee, Rose Ortiz. Any joy that could be found in a woman about to be married to the man she loved was completely absent from her. Next to Rose sat Will Aston, whose entire body just betrayed how utterly DONE he was with life.

"All this from the past week alone?" Asked Mack. The other Rangers just nodded weakly.

"Somebody threw a brick at my window,"- said Ronny. When I made the mistake of looking out to see who it was, I almost got hit in the face with a second brick.

"Somebody spray painted my house,"-said Will. "I'll give you three guesses which word they called me, and the first two don't count."

"I got a call from the studio,"-said Dax. "I'm officially blacklisted by pretty much every studio in America. No one will work with me anymore, or ever again."

"I got blacklisted by Academia,"- said Rose. "All my life's work just went up in smoke. My writings, books, my seminars? Poof, gone."

"I'm sorry, guys,"- said Mack. "I wish I could make this whole damn thing go away."

"It's not you, Mack,"- said Will. "I don't know who it was, but I know for a fact YOU aren't the one who spray painted 'nigger' on my doorstep."

"I'm scared to live by myself now,"-said Ronny, fighting back tears.

"Guys..."- Mack slumped into his chair, defeated. "You can all stay here, with Rose and I. Our doors are open for you."

"No, Mack, come on,"- said Will. "A newlywed deserves their time alone with their new spouse..."

"I know,"-said Rose, standing up. "But guys, Mack cares about you guys as much as I do; you're our family! How can we not offer you help when you need it most?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, honey,"-said Mack as he put his arm around his future wife, kissing her. Her smile is all he needs in life. "I'd do anything for you guys."

A knock on the door. Mack excused himself to check. As he approached the door, a team of heavily armed soldiers burst in, pointing their guns at the rest of the Overdrives. General Wade Miles walked in, looming over Mackenzie Hartford. As Andrew Hartford and his butler, Spencer, rushed into the scene, the General picked the young heir to the Hartford name by the arm.

"Let him go!"- Yelled Andrew.

"Overdrive Rangers,"- said General Miles with a sneer. "There's been a failure of registration among you."

"What are you on about?"- asked Dax, his arms raised overhead. "We were registered with the government for years! We've kept our identities public since Operation Overdrive!"

"I don't mean your team,"- Wade Miles said. "I mean the REST of the Rangers!"

"Well, that's their decision!"- Ronny yelled out.

"Decision? There's no decision!"- said Miles. "It's either register or register!"

"Well, what can you do about it?"- asked Andrew. "You can't force people to do anything! This is America!"

"Exactly,"- said Wade Miles. "And this beautiful land of freedom MUST be kept strong and alive, and that can only be done by weeding out any and all potential threats! And that, of course, includes you!"

There were no words of protest, no struggles, not even a peep made in self defense. Just the deafening silence of a group of young, tired, good people who have carried the weight of the world on their shoulders for too long.

"Here's what I demand,"-said Wade Miles. "Give me the names of ALL the Rangers you know of. We know for a fact that you AT LEAST know the identities of the Jungle Fury Rangers. Give us those, and we'll be on our way."

"And if we refuse?"- Asked Spencer.

"Then I am arresting you all under grounds of treason,"- said Wade Miles. "And believe me, after all the SHIT you Power Rangers did two years ago, I am just ITCHING to lock each and every one of you behind bars!"

"This is a violation of our civil rights!"- Rose yelled out. "You can't do this! It's inconstitutional! It's illegal!"

"Read it and weep, girl,"- said Wade Miles as he threw an arrest warrant right at Rose's face, taking the chance to twist Mack's arm a bit. "Your rights have been forfeitted by the Ranger Act until you register. And since none of you technically registered..."

"Stop!"-Mack yelled out, tears in his eyes. "Please, let them go. My friends have been through enough!"

"Trust me, kid,"-said Miles. "They've been through NOTHING yet!"

"Let them go!"-Mack cried out. "Let them go, and I'll..."

"No, Mack!"- cried out Dax. "We can take it! We can't let this monster find the rest of the Power Rangers!"

"So, you're 100% willing to aid an enemy of the US?"-said Wade Miles, his eyes piercing through Dax's very soul. "I know just which cell to lock you up in. I doubt you'll last an hour, though. I'd have to arrange a funeral as soon as you set foot on Piedra del Diablo!"

Rose's eyes widened, her jaw hitting the floor as she heard that name. Her hands began to tremble, her tears freely falling down her face.

"Tell them, Mack,"-said Rose. "But only on the condition that this monster wearing human skin won't hurt them!"

"That's going to be up to them, not me,"-replied Miles. "So, you gonna be a good little American, son?"

"OK,"- said Mack, tears in his eyes. Andrew's eyes were red with tears as well, as were Spencer's. "I'll tell you where the Jungle Furies are..."

Next day, Ocean Bluff...

Theo and Lilly sat at their breakfast table, completely unaware of the approaching, heavily armed soldiers marching towards their door. One soldier knocks on the door. Theo gets up and answers the door.

"Need a lift for the registry?"- The soldier threateningly asked Theo. "You and your friends are very, very late for it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 2: History**

 _The following is the only surviving video footage left of the Haiti's Daughter riot of August 13, 2010. It shows the aftermath of the fire that destroyed seven tents, including the makeshift hospital, and took no less than 7 lives. It shows Carter Grayson, helmetless, his suit covered in ashes. He is sitting on the ground, his gaze distant._

(Taylor's voice, offscreen): How you holding up, Carter?

(Carter): I wish Dana was here.

(Taylor, offscreen): I know, buddy. You did good out there, though. She'd be proud.

(Carter): Yeah, right. Seven people, Taylor. That's how many I failed to save.

 _A pause, lasts 10 seconds._

(Taylor, her voice cracking): Can't save them all, Carter.

 _Another ten second pause._

(Carter): Then what good am I?

 _End of video._

 _The following is an excerpt from Sieg Adam's book "The Truth Uncovered: The Secrets Behind the Ranger Act."_

Haiti's Daughter was a tent city located in the city of Crystal Waves, Florida. Originally a neighborhood with a strong Haitian presence, the tent city became host to some of the deadliest outbreaks of cholera during the Millenial Crisis of 2010-2013. Various Rangers volunteered to keep the tent city safe, with varying degrees of success. The first to volunteer were Carter Grayson and Taylor Earhardt, who stayed from June to September of 2010. From November of 2010 to February of 2011, Max Cooper and TJ Johnson stayed to help. Between April of 2011 to May 2013, several Rangers would stay in Haiti's Daughter at a time, ranging from months (Kat, Kimberly) to mere days at a time (Will Aston, Xander Bly).

The world economy completely collapsed on February 23, 2010. On this day, which will forever live in infamy, the stock market crashed, property values plummeted, and taxes were raised to unseen levels. The immediate cause for this collapse was reported to have been the destruction of Angel Grove on January 1, 2010. The vampire known as Maximov had gathered six crystals known as the Crystals of Gaia, which contain a power much like the Zeo Crystal. The Crystals of Gaia were said to be connected to the very soul of Earth itself, and they were capable of tearing open the border between the realms of the living and the dead. How much of that is true, we have no way of knowing. But what IS known is that Maximov used those Crystals to summon Baal from the Abyss of Evil.

The overnight crash of the real estate market caused millions of Americans to lose their homes. From one day to the next, a 400 dollar apartment would suddenly cost 1100 a month, with water and electricity paid out of pocket. Millions of mortgages were forfeited, some families were literally thrown out of their own homes by the police.

As more and more people lost their homes and jobs, the prices of basic amenities skyrocketed as well. Milk went from three dollars a gallon to 21. A box of cereal would cost upwards of 50 dollars. Bottled water, baby formula, diapers, all would end up costing close to 100 dollars each. This absurd explosion in the cost of living led to hundreds of riots across America, which served only to further aggravate the situation.

Internationally, the situation was far worse. Because the American dollar had weakened, many other economies began to tank as well. China and Russia attempted to fill the power gap left by America, only to begin suffering internal strife of their own. Wars escalated in the Middle East, which created a refugee problem. The European Union voted to close their borders to these refugees; by 2012, the bigger players of the EU had voted in isolationist, Far-Right governments into power. The EU was dead for all intents and purposes by New Year's 2013.

Wars broke out in Latin America. Many democratically elected governments were violently overthrown via military coups. Some, like the republics of Chile and Brazil, even terminated their constitutions.

All this, because of the destruction of one city? No. Angel Grove wasn't just any city, it was one of the most important cities in the world, economically speaking. The home of Hollywoodland, THE biggest film industry in the world. NASADA, America's leading aeronautics and space exploration organization. A city that by itself was considered the 20th strongest economy in the world. The origin point of the Power Rangers! The destruction of Angel Grove truly ended an era and harkened the start of another; a grimmer, bleaker era for mankind.

 _Sieg Adams is a professor of Earth History at Terra Venture University._

 _The following is an excerpt from George Sear's speech where he formally announced his intention to run for President of the United States. It was given on September 13th, 2010._

My fellow Americans, this was my home, too. Though over nine months have passed since her destruction, my home town of Angel Grove still sits here, alone and abandoned. I, like many, grew up here. I lived past Rita. I lived past Lord Zedd. I lived past Divatox. I even witnessed the Countdown to Destruction! I lived five years of my life facing the possibility of an alien attack every day! Like so many, I lived in the shadow of evil! Like so many, I saw first hand the Power Rangers summon their Zords to save the day! Like so many, I too believed that this city was indestructible.

Yet here I am, standing in her rubble. I stand here, on top of a city once known for heroes! I stand in the ruins of what was once America's most vibrant, most optimistic city! This city, that saw the possible end of the world in the face, and dared to take a stand! This city, that day after day, for over five years, survived attacks form evil space aliens and lived to tell the tales! This city! My city! Our city! Ruined…

And she's not alone. America is also ruined. Ruined by riots! Ruined by hunger! Ruined by pain, by sorrow, by anger! Anger that is fully justified! Because just like my city, America lays abandoned by those elected to lead her!

Look at us! Fifty years ago we were putting a man on the moon! Thirty years ago, we faced the most evil empire on Earth and told them to tear down their walls if they wanted peace! And now we live in squalor? In tents? When last year we had the HIGHEST standard of living in the world?

No! Brothers and sisters, we have been tricked! We have been conned! We have been bamboozled! The current establishment exists only to enrich itself! It has been nine months and I have yet to see so much as a BULLDOZER come to these ruins to lay the framework for reconstruction!

I say the time has come to rid us of this establishment! Republicans and Democrats, they're all the same! All they want is your money! This is why I am hereby announcing my candidacy for President of the United States of America! My fellow Americas, let's combine our forces together to rid us of the Washington parasites that FORCE you into tents while they sleep in 5 star hotels! Let's all unite so we can make America great again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 3: Those who keep their heads bowed down.**

"What registry?"-Theo asked, gulping. His eyes dart around, looking at all the heavily armed soldiers at his doorstep.

"You know what registry we mean, Ranger,"- said the soldier. "You've failed to register. Now come with us."

"Ranger?"- asked Lilly, rushing to Theo's side. "Sir, we're not-"

'Don't even think about playing dumb, Lilly Chilman,"- the soldier sneered. "We know you're the Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger. Now, we can either do this the easy way..."

The soldiers prepare their weapons, aiming them at the pair of former Power Rangers. Theo and Lilly take a step back, raising their hands. The soldier gives them a satisfied smirk. "Or, we can do this the hard way. Ball's on your field."

Theo moved his hand but a few centimeters to reach for his morpher. However, that was when he noticed that each and every one of the soldiers present already had their fingers on their weapon's triggers. He knew; one wrong move, and these soldiers would instantly kill him and Lilly.

"Sergeant, I feel as though this is a use of excessive force,"- said Theo. "Coming over to a private residence, dozens of soldiers armed to the teeth, why? What did you expect would happen here?"

"Are you coming, or do we need to roughen you up?"- The soldier asked threateningly.

"We'll go willingly,"- Lilly said, glaring at the soldier. "So put those guns down."

"No,"- the soldier said, grabbing Theo and Lilly. "Now keep quiet, my boys still have a clear shot."

The soldier dragged the two Rangers to a windowless van. Some of Lilly and Theo's neighbors went outside to watch the whole thing. Several soldiers went to the houses where people were clearly recording what was happening and confiscated any and every recorder they could find. Some of the neighbors went back inside their apartments, closing the doors, pretending they saw nothing...

The next day...

"In the three days since the Ranger Act has been signed into law, we know of only 3 teams who have fully registered,"- Cassidy Cornell reported for National News Network. "They are: Lightspeed Rescue, Wild Force, and Operation Overdrive."

Nick Russell watches the news from his own apartment in Silver Hills.

"Yesterday, three members of the Jungle Fury team had also registered,"- Cassidy continued. "Lilly Chilman, Theo Martin, and Robert James. Currently, that leaves only five Rangers left unregistered for this team."

Nick Russell gets up from his bean bag chair and heads towards the kitchen for a glass of water. He continues listening intently to the news report.

"The identities of the other five remains a closely guarded state secret, but it is known that the Overdrive Rangers have cooperated with the authorities to identify the missing Rangers,"- Cassidy continued.

At that moment, Nick dropped his glass, his jaw agape. His heart beat accelerated, his brow began to sweat heavily.

"The government has yet to issue a statement regarding their documented use of power to force Robert James to register,"- Cassidy Cornell continued. For a brief second, her face contorts in a rage, but she quickly composes herself. "This ten second video shows footage of said Ranger being forced to cooperate with authorities at gun point."

At that moment the signal gets lost. Nick stands in disbelief at what he just heard; the Overdrives sold out the Jungle Fury.

"Cowards,"- Nick finally utters. "Sellouts."

Meanwhile...

Max Cooper opened his door, where he found a few armed soldiers waiting for him outside his rented home.

"Hey, I already registered, OK?"- said Max, panicking.

"Please relax, Mr Cooper,"- said the lead soldier. "We're not going to hurt you, we just want your cooperation."

"No way, I already registered!"- Max was about to slam the door when the soldier pushed him back inside his house. As Max struggles to get back up, he finds himself surrounded by soldiers.

"So, what I'm hearing is that you won't cooperate?"- asked the soldier. "Sir, are you aware that obstruction of justice is a criminal offense?"

"You're not cops,"- Max responded, rather meekly.

"For all intents and purposes, we're cops on steroids,"- replied the soldier. "I shouldn't be here, I should be out there, fighting against everything that threatens America. Drug cartels in Mexico, jihadists in the Middle East. But here I am, having to point a gun at a fellow citizen, just because he doesn't want to keep America safe."

"From what?"- Max asks incredulously.

"From YOU!"- The soldier roars out. "Look at you lot! You have access to weapons far beyond anything any nation on Earth can produce! You keep your identities secret from us, from everyone! And how did you use that power when we needed you most? You turned it against the people!"

Max is at a loss for words, his hands shaking, tears welling in his eyes. He finally speaks up- "That wasn't all of us."

"It was enough of you,"- the soldier's eyes are soaked with tears. "I was there, you know. I was there when the Mighty Morphing Blue Ranger killed that man!"

Max is speechless. He knew what the soldier was referring to.

"I will never forget that day,"- the soldier continued. "But I'm not here to reminisce, I'm here to get information. And I'll either get it from you or from ANY of your teammates. So tell me, right NOW, where we can find the Ninja Storm team."

"No...please,"- Max says between sobs. "Let me call them. I know some of them personally. I'll convince them to register."

"Why should we believe you?"- Asked the soldier.

"I registered voluntarily,"- said Max. "I've got no reason to lie to you. So please, let me talk to them in private. I can convince them."

"OK,"- the soldier finally said, giving the signal to her team to leave. "You have two days to get them to register."

"They'll register by tomorrow,"- said Max without thinking. "If not, I'll tell you where they live."

"Thank you,"- the soldier replied, leaving.

Max took out his phone, dialing Tori's number as quickly as he could. His heart was pounding...

The very next day, true to his word, the six Ninja Storm Rangers had gone to register willingly. They stepped out from Reefside's Federal Bureau, set up after the one in Angel Grove was destroyed.

"I don't know what's worse,"- said Tori. "That the Jungle Furies got threatened with violence to register, or that they forced Max to tell them who we were."

"I only registered for him,"- said Blake. "He didn't deserve to have soldiers come up to his house..."

Cameron remains stoically silent. He merely takes a deep breath. He finally utters under his breath- "After everything we did for the world..."

The Ninja Storm team pass by Tommy and Kat, who were on their way to register.

"We can't risk it,"- Tommy said to Kat, who had a glum look to her. "After the Overdrives sold out the Jungle Fury, we can't risk our identities being sold out to the government. It's best that we register willingly, so we don't risk getting ourselves arrested."


	5. Chapter 5

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 4: Those that cooperate with authorities**

Kimberly had served Rocky and Aisha some coffee in her home in Stone Canyon. Her house was sparsely decorated; considering the current economy, it was for the best. The three former Rangers drink coffee in silence, but their body postures show that something weighs heavily on them.

"I registered,"- said Kimberly, breaking the silence. "I don't know why, but I did."

"Me too,"- said Rocky.

"Ditto,"- said Aisha, taking a sip of coffee. "After seeing what happened to RJ? Nah, no way could I risk it."

"You gotta put your daughter first,"- said Rocky. "Just like Kim's gotta think about her family."

"Right,"- said Kimberly. "I mean, Spike's going to be 13 soon. He needs me."

"Right,"- said Rocky, taking a sip of coffee. "Me? Nah, man. I just didn't want the government thinking old Rocky's a moocher. I'm 100% willing to let myself be held accountable for..."

Kimberly and Aisha both look at Rocky intently, knowing precisely what had been on his mind.

"I think most of us could use some more accountability,"- said Kimberly. "Myself included, of course."

"Ditto,"- said Aisha.

A long silence fills the air. Rocky fidgets with his cup, as Kimberly merely stares at the black liquid in hers. Aisha spins her coffee around in her cup, her eyes pensive.

"I still sometimes can't believe how many of us actually crossed the line back then,"- said Kimberly. "And I still have nightmares about the time I was tempted to do it, too."

"Same here,"- said Aisha. "I still lose sleep over it."

"I don't think any of us will ever live down what we did,"- said Rocky, putting his cup down. "I still go to church every Sunday morning, still go to confession. I must have prayed a million Hail Marys. I keep asking God to forgive me, but..."

"But?"- Kimberly prodded on.

"But it's hard to ask God to forgive me, when I can't forgive myself,"- Rocky said with tears in his eyes.

Meanwhile...

In the state of Delaware there's a town called Clear Waves. It is a small town, around 10 thousand people living there. It is a small beach town, though there haven't been many beach goers for the last three years due to the Millenial Crisis. Had it not been for the crisis, however, the town would have been a tourist mecca for the East Coast due to the fact that it was the very first city outside of California to have its own team of Rangers.

They were known as the Power Rangers of Mu, a six person team led by a young woman named Bella Black. She was around age 18, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, a real "girl next door" type of girl who stood at 5'5''. The other colors of the team were Blue, Yellow, White, Black, and Green.

On that day, in the town of Clear Waves, Bella sat on the pier with her teacher, as well as the Green Ranger of Mu, Jason Lee Scott.

"Man, this new Ranger Act's got to have you stressed, right?"- Asked Bella.

"Pretty much,"- said Jason.

"You gonna do it?"- asked Bella.

"No way,"- said Jason. "I don't see why I should. I've never done anything wrong; not during the Crisis, not ever. And in any case, I doubt the government can do anything against me."

"Yeah,"- said Bella, leaning her head on Jason's shoulders. "So..."

"No,"- Jason bluntly stated.

"I didn't get to say anything,"- Bella complained.

"I know what you're thinking,"- said Jason.

"Come on, Jason,"- cooed Bella. "I'm an adult, you're an adult. There's nothing wrong with it."

"I'm old enough to be your dad,"- said Jason. "And that's Mr. Scott to you, OK?"

"Sure, OK,"- said Bella, getting off Jason's shoulder and slouching against the pier. "You're no fun, Mr. Scott."

"I'm not supposed to be,"- said Jason.

"Mr. Scott!"- called a voice from the beach sidewalk. It was a young man, aged about 20, with jet black hair and olive skin. He stood six feet even. "A word, please?"

"Hey Blaise,"- said Jason. "Something wrong."

"Yeah,"- Blaise replied. "You need to call your friend from your days as Mighty Morphin Red."

"Which one?"- asked Jason.

"Any of them, because most will register today,"- said Blaise. "I saw it in a vision."

Blaise de la Croix, White Ranger of Mu, is a psychic who gets visions of the future.

"I know Billy really should register,"- Jason said, his face getting serious. "And Tommy ought to do so as well. But Kim and Zack?"

"Billy,"- said Blaise, pondering. "He's the Blue one, right?"

"Yeah,"- said Jason, getting up. "I'll call Kim, she should be home at this hour."

"OK,"- said Blaise, sitting next to Bella. Jason went to his backpack to grab his cellphone.

"This is serious,"- said Bella, straightening up. "Blaise, did you see anything bad happen to Jason in your visions?"

"In one of them, yeah,"- said Blaise. "I saw many army soldiers show up to arrest him."

"We can't let that happen,"- said Bella, getting up as well. "I'll call the team."

"Hold on,"- said Blaise. "That vision only happened because the person Jason called had their phone wired. I'm not sure who it was, but it only happened in one of my four visions."

"So we have a one in four chance,"- said Bella. "I'm no gambler. I'm calling the team."

Meanwhile, Jason was on the phone with Kimberly.

"Hey Kim,"- said Jason.

"Hey Jase,"- Kim replied. "Did you register?"

"No,"- Jason replied. "You?"

Kim was stunned. Her hand started trembling. "Are you going to?"

"Not really,"- said Jason. "Why did you register? As far as I know, you never did anything wrong."

"Jason, we need to be held more accountable,"- Kim replied, her hands shaking. "We did bad things..."

"No, Billy and Tommy did bad things,"- Jason said sternly. "I know they didn't mean to, and I know they deeply regret what happened, but THEY need to answer for THEIR actions, not anyone else. Certainly not you."

"Jason,"- Kim's face was red, her tears streaming down her face. "I beg you. Register. Please."

"No, Kim,"- Jason sternly said. "And that's the end of that issue, alright?"

"I beg you,"- Kimberly said before the call got cut. She doesn't hang up the phone, though. "Jason, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Jason looked at his phone, puzzled. "Did she hang up?"

"Jason!"- Bella cried out. "I called the team, they're on their way."

"What for?"- Jason asked.

"Blaise had a vision that you were going to get arrested,"- said Bella. "No way in hell am I letting that happen. We'll stand by you. Right, Blaise?"

Bella and Jason noticed that Blaise was crying. Bella rushed over to Blaise, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Too late,"- Blaise said, sobbing. "I just had a vision. They're coming, and it's going to get ugly."

Meanwhile, at Reefside...

Tommy looked at his phone somberly. When he registered, he didn't expect to be forced to allow his phone to be wired by the government. Every call he makes or receives would be monitored and recorded by the government. He sighed, his mind heavy with not just the sins of the past, but with the knowledge that all Rangers who have registered would have likewise been forced to acquiesce to this condition as well. He put an arm around Kat, his wife, whose phone had also been wired.


	6. Chapter 6

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 5: The Power Rangers of Mu- an explanation**

Before Space Patrol Delta, it is known that Ranger teams were more "sporadic" and "disorganized." They seemed good at dealing with one type of threat, and only that one type. Rarely did these Ranger teams stood up to fight the forces of evil after they had defeated their "villain." Notable examples include the Power Rangers Wild Force, Mystic Force and Jungle Fury. However, it is known that there are some notable exceptions, including the Lightspeed Rescue and Space Rangers. Perhaps, it is this lack of activity which helps the public forget about these teams of Rangers. The purpose of this essay is an exploration on the one Power Rangers team the general public seems to have forgotten the most: The Power Rangers of Mu.

The Power Rangers of Mu were a team consisting of six Rangers. These were Isabella 'Bella' Black, Red Ranger; Blaise De la Croix, White Ranger; Wind Lane, Black Ranger; Arthur Dent, Blue Ranger; Kenneth Dent, Yellow Ranger; and finally Jason Lee Scott, Green Ranger. Except for Jason, this team consisted of young adults, ages ranging from 14 (Wind) to 19 (Arthur). They fought against a villain named Devil Diver. They get their name from the "sunken continent of Mu."

Although the Mu Rangers are largely just a footnote in History, the Devil Diver is considered an outstanding villain in the Rogues Gallery of the Power Rangers. The reasons for this are thus: He nearly succeeded in his plans, and he was merely human. Although it is known that the Rangers have, in fact, faced other human villains, Devil Diver stands out for the fact that he never possessed any outstanding abilities, save for his intelligence. He counted on his own inventions to control his foot soldiers, the Rogons. He also utilized "mystic items" such as the Orbs of Mu, to do his deeds.

The Power Rangers of Mu were active from June 2011-February 2012. Their main Zords were: Red Dolphin Zord, Blue Barracuda Zord, Yellow Crab Zord, Black Sea Lion Zord, and the White Shark Zord. Their Zord formations include: Maritime Megazord, where the Crab formed the body and head, The Sea Lion and Barracuda formed the legs, and the Shark and Dolphin made the arms. Jason used the Green Kraken Zord, a Giant Octopus Zord which had its own Warrior Mode. The Mu Rangers also had access to various other Zords that could replace their normal Zords: Stingray Zord, Manta Zord, Sunfish Zord, Orca Zord, Porpoise Zord, Manatee Zord, Crab Zord, among others.

The Power Rangers of Mu were mostly unknown due to the fact that, while they were active, the rest of the World was going through the Millennial Crisis. This is the name given to that time when money was scarce, and people rioted.

The Power Rangers of Mu saved the world from being flooded. Devil Diver had stolen most of the Orbs of Mu, and used them to summon the mighty Chac Mol, a rain God that could flood the world. The Rangers stopped him, but sea levels rose up about 19% thanks to the Diver. The Diver is dead now.

The Mu Rangers never registered for the Ranger Act.

By:

Lester Jones

Mrs. Josephine Dalma

Class 6, Grade 11

(The following are notes added by the teacher, and found at the back of the paper)

 _Sorry Lester, but this essay could have been written much better. You forgot about Echo the Scarlet Dolphin, who mentored the Rangers of Mu alongside Jason. You forgot to add that Jason didn't gain his powers until a few months into the Mu Ranger's conflict with the Diver. You also forgot to mention that Devil Diver successfully managed to nearly destroy Starfish City, Florida. You neglected to mention the Devil Diver's real name is Jebediah Isaiah Plinkers. Blaise was an empath and a psychic, why didn't you mention that? How did the Mu Rangers defeat Devil Diver? Why did you forget to mention that the Rangers morphed using the Medals of Mu? And why didn't they register? Overall Grade: 71%_


	7. Chapter 7

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 6: Those that resist**

"Mr. Scott, I think there's still time for you to register,"- said Blaise, sweating bullets, his eyes red and poofy.

"No way,"- said Jason. "I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not registering just because the government wants me to think it's the right thing."

"They're gonna come after you,"- Blaise said. "Jason, I am so sorry. If I had kept my mouth shut-"

"Blaise, I never had any intention of registering,"- said Jason. "I am shocked that Kimberly registered, but it's her life."

"Jason, I won't let them do anything to you,"- said Bella. "I got your back."

"You should go back home,"- said Jason. "Whoever is coming, they're coming after me, not you. You should let me handle this."

"No way in hell!"- Bella yelled out. "We're in it together, like a team!"

"There IS no team here!"- said Jason. The argument stopped, however, when the sounds of various jeeps started getting closer and closer. Six jeeps arrived at the beach within minutes, all carrying heavily armed soldiers. Bella was quick to take out her morpher, but Jason signaled her to put it away. Blaise also took out his morpher, keeping it out of Jason's, as well as the soldier's, sights.

"Jason Lee Scott,"- said one of the soldiers who approached Jason. "Sgt. Mike Calhoun, 155th Infantry. I'm here to give you a lift to your local Federal government building so you can register."

"Thanks but no thanks,"- said Jason. "I'm not registering. Not today, not ever."

"Mister Scott, we remind you that these are trying times,"- said Mike Calhoun. "The Power Rangers aren't heroes anymore, not after the shit you did these last three years."

"Correction: those were a few individual Rangers,"- said Jason. "Each and every one of us was at the end of our rope. Many of us would go days without sleep or food, always trying to keep order in tent cities and ghettos. We didn't always succeed, and we ALL came dangerously close to crossing lines. Some of us did, some of us didn't. But it wasn't all of us."

"Hey, I know what it's like,"- Mike Calhoun said sympathetically. "But you've got to admit, you Rangers haven't done nearly enough to bring those who crossed those lines to justice."

"I'll admit that, yeah,"- said Jason. "But each and every one of us has fought for this world; I believe even they deserve a chance to give themselves in and clear their own conscience."

"Unfortunately, that's not what the people want,"- said Mike Calhoun. "The people want the Power Rangers to pay for what they did."

"I know,"- said Jason. "If you want to arrest me, go ahead. But know that I'm holding my head up high; I have nothing to apologize for except giving my 100% to save a world that sold me out."

"I'd say I'm real sorry about this, but I'm not,"- said Mike Calhoun, aiming a gun at Jason's head. "You're under arrest for failure to register."

"I'll be calling my lawyer,"- said Jason. "I'm willing to fight this."

"What lawyer?"- One of the soldiers mockingly said. "Terrorist scum like you don't get civil rights!"

"He's no terrorist!"- Bella suddenly yelled, putting herself between Calhoun and Jason. "He's a Power Ranger who's done more for the world than ANY of you!"

"You're under arrest too,"- said Calhoun. "For aiding an enemy of the US."

"She hasn't done anything!"- Jason yelled out. "Bella, I told you to get out of here!"

"And I told YOU, Jason, that we're a team!"- said Bella. "We stick together!"

"Wait, you're a Ranger, too?"- asked Mike Calhoun. That's when he noticed Blaise. "And you, kid? You one, too?"

Blaise did not answer. His hand still clutched his Medal of Mu.

"I asked you a question, boy,"- Mike Calhoun angrily said. "If you won't answer, I'll take your silence for a yes and have you arrested."

Still no answer from Blaise.

"He can't talk,"- Jason said quickly and with no thought. "He's mute!"

"I highly doubt that,"- said Mike, aiming his gun at Blaise. "What's in your hand, mutey? You got your morpher out? Say something!"

"Leave him alone!"- Bella yelled out, earning her a slap from the soldier who was grabbing her.

"Bella!"- Blaise screamed.

"Aha!"- Mike Calhoun shouted out. "So you're no mute! Arrest them all!"

"No!"- Jason roared. "Leave them alone!"

And without thinking, with no regard for his own safety, Blaise said those words that would echo in the minds of the present soldiers for the rest of their lives. "It's Morphin' Time!"

A flash of light surrounds Blaise, and as it dissipates, he comes out in his Mu Ranger suit! A simple white suit with high boots, gauntlets, a belt, and a sash that goes across his chest. The boots and gauntlets have a golden trim at the end. His sash is gold colored; on his shoulders are shoulder pads that are gold colored. His helmet is in the shape of a shark's mouth, with a teeth pattern adorning the visor. The belt is a simple white belt with a shark shaped belt buckle.

The soldiers stare in horror at the White Ranger of Mu; they knew the situation had just gotten ugly...

Meanwhile, in Atlanta…

Vida Rocca was sitting at a bar named _She/She Bar_. It was a small bar, bit of a dive, where women of Atlanta who preferred women could socialize and have a drink. At that moment, though, only Vida was giving the establishment any business. She was drinking a beer, reminiscing about yet another failed relationship.

"Miss Rocca?"- a man in a military uniform approached her. "You have failed to register."

"I'm no Ranger,"-she casually replied.

"Our trusty informant has stated otherwise,"-the uniformed man said. "And your sister has verified his claim."

"So how's my sister?"-Vida asked. "I haven't heard from her in a while."

"She's doing fine,"-said the man in the uniform. Unbeknownst to him, Vida caught him giving a subtle signal to some army boys who seemed to casually lean against a bar table.

"Really? Last I heard, she had no intention of registering,"-Vida said. The fact that the army men were subtly coming over was not lost to her. "What did you do to her?"

"She chose, of her own will, to register,"-the man in the uniform said. "I did nothing to her."

"I don't like liars,"-Vida said, taking another sip of her drink. "And I really don't like men who come all up in my face. So this is the one time I'll ask nicely: leave. This is a lesbian bar; men are not welcome here."

The army men surrounded her. The man in the uniform glareed and asked- "Will this have to get ugly?"

"Buddy, you made the whole joint get ugly the minute you walked in here,"- said Vida, taking out her morpher. She dialed a simple wind spell, blowing the military men away. She got up from her stool, running out the door as fast as she could. Just outside She/She were a few armed men, ready to fire at her. Not missing a beat, she morphed.

"Boys, this is your ONE chance to leave me alone!"- Vida declared proudly. "So either step away and let me go, or get hurt and humilliated. Your choice!"

At the Pai Zhuq academy...

Casey Rhodes stood at the top of the steps that led to the academy. He was fully morphed, wielding the Jungle Master Mode, daring the soldiers to even attempt to attack him. At his side stood Jarrod and Camille, also fully morphed and ready for battle.

"Mister Rhodes!"- cried out the captain. "If you want to fight the US army, it's your funeral!"

"I'm not the one picking a fight here,"- said Casey. "But if you come here to my secret school while wielding weaponry, you should most certainly expect a martial artist like myself to defend what is precious to him."

The soldiers deliberated on what they should do. Their leader, Captain Erica Gavin of the 212th Infantry, gave the order to retreat temporarily.

"They'll be back,"- Jarrod commented.

"I know,"- said Casey. "And I'll be waiting."

"So will we,"- said Camille.


	8. Chapter 8

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 7: Once heroes, now fugitives**

Blaise had morphed into the White Ranger of Mu, a situation that none of the soldiers hoped to face.

"Demoprh!"- cried out Mike Calhoun as he aimed his rifle at Blaise. "Demorph now!"

"Only if you promise to leave us alone,"- said Blaise, holding his hands up. "I don't want to hurt anyone; neither of us want this to escalate. So please, put down those weapons, turn back, and leave us be."

Mitch Calhoun thought about it. As he lowered his gun, he noticed one of the more hotblooded soldiers under his command had sneaked up on Bella, grabbing her and pointing a gun to her hand.

"New deal, hero!"- said the soldier. "Demorph and turn yourself in, or your little friend here's getting a lethal headache!"

"Soldier, I did not authorize this!"- yelled Calhoun. "Put her down; you're escalating the situation!"

"Please, put her down!"- Blaise cried out, his hands shaking. "I never wanted to hurt anyone..."

But before anyone could do anything, Bella summoned her Medal of Mu to her hand, and with a cry of "It's Morphing Time!" she morphed into the Red Ranger of Mu! The soldier fired his gun, but the bullet bounced off her helmet, hitting the soldier right in the left eye. As the soldier cries out, his eye bleeding, Jason and the two Mu Rangers take the opportunity to escape.

"Don't shoot!"- commanded Calhoun. "The bullets could hurt a citizen! You two, take him to the local hospital! Rest of you get on those jeeps and cut off those Rangers!"

The Rangers managed to evade the soldiers by hiding out in a small cave just outside Clear Waves. As the sounds of jeeps went further and further away, Blaise and Bella demoprhed. Both were sweating bullets.

"That soldier was literally gonna kill me,"- said Bella, her face white as a ghost. "Christ, my life flashed before my eyes!"

"I've never been so scared in my life,"- said Jason, his entire body covered in cold sweat. "He pulled the damned trigger..."

"Just one more second..."- Bella quivered, tears in her eyes. Her cellphone began to ring at that moment. She gave it to Jason, who answered it for her.

"Mr. Scott?"- asked a young woman at the other end of the line. "Where are you? Where's Bella and Blaise?"

"Wind, we need to get out of town as soon as possible,"- said Jason. "Get Arthur and Kenneth and meet us by the cave outside of town."

"What the heck happened?"- asked Wind. Jason filled her in on all the details, leaving the girl on the other end of the line flabbergasted. "Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be,"- said Jason. "Just get here ASAP, OK?"

"OK, you got it,"- said Wind, her voice shaken.

At the Clear Waves Clinic...

Mickey Campbell, that's the name of the soldier that tried taking Bella hostage. He laid in bed in a small hospital close to Clear Waters; it had a bed, a desk, and a window facing the ocean. The desk had a tray with a bloodied bullet on it. Mickey himself had his eye covered in a bandage; doctor said it's permanently damaged. He sighed; Calhoun's report would most likely get him Dishonorably Discharged.

A reporter from the local paper sneaked into his room, a pen and notebook in hand. -"Sergeant, I'm Dana Follahey, reporter for Rebel News. Tell me in your own words what happened."

"I thought the press was barred from entering?"- Commented Mickey.

"I have my ways,"- Dana Follahey replied. "Now, I want YOUR side of the story. There's a rumor you gt injured apprehending a Ranger; is that true?"

Without thinking, Mickey told the reporter everything that had happened. Dana Follahey wrote it all down, then bid the soldier goodbye.

In Atlanta...

Vida smiled proudly as her magic blew away the soldiers, knocking them off their feet and sending them flying a few inches off the ground. As she ran away, she could see some reporters heading in her direction. She summoned her Mystic Racer, flying off into the sky...

Back in Clear Waves...

Wind, Kenneth, and Arthur had finally managed to catch up with the rest of the Rangers of Mu. Wind is a spritely young girl; she stands 4 feet 11 inches, her jet black hair in a pixie cut, her pale skin contrasting with her all black attire. Arthur is a tall young man, six foot one, olive skin, his brown hair messy, his body built like a tank as he is a football player. His younger brother, Kenneth, stands six feet even, his brown hair combed, a much scrawnier build than his brother that reflects his nature of being more of an intellectual.

"So whose butts are we kicking?"- Asked Arthur as he punches his own palm.

"Nobody's,"- replied Kenneth. "What we need to do is find shelter and wait for this ugly situation to blow over."

"It's too bad that Echo's not around anymore,"- Wind said, sadness in her voice. "He'd know what to do."

Jason sighed, wondering what Zordon would tell him at a time like this.

"Guys?"- Blaise spoke up. "I know a place we can go."

"Where?"- asked Kenneth.

"My aunt's house,"- said Blaise. "It's on the other side of the state, so we'll be a while on the road. But I know we'll be safe there."

"How do you know?"- asked Jason.

Bella replied- "She knows about me. About us..."

Jason's gaze was fixed on Blaise, who kept adding- "She used to be a Power Ranger."

The next day...

News of Power Rangers resisting arrest spread like wildfire across the world. People all over began to clamor for harsher treatment of the Power Rangers; to arrest them on sight, to arrest those who refuse to divulge the identities of other Power Rangers, with some even calling for torture. Rebel News, an infamous ultra Right Wing online newspaper, ran the story of one Mickey Campbell, who got seriously injured in the line of duty.

" _Sergeant Mickey Campbell has permanently lost use of his left eye,"_ \- wrote Dana Follahey, the infamous provocateur for Rebel News. _"And he has the Power Rangers to thank for it. He is scarcely the only one who has had to suffer because of the Rangers, but I ask: will he be the last? I am sad to say that I doubt it, as long as this milquetoast government refuses to put on their big boy jeans and ACT like they care for the people!"_

The comments poured in within minutes.

" _I am beyond sick. I support the troops!"-_ Kyle Y., Indiana.

" _Camo, not spandex!"_ \- Claire B., South Dakota.

" _This is what we get for voting Independent!"-_ Joshua B., Ohio.

" _Don't give the Rangers the chair; they'll stink up the place. Hang them!"-_ Anonymous.

It did not take long for Follahey's news piece to get cited in other forms of media, be it Conservative or Liberal. Reports of the incident in Atlanta had also reached national attention, so both events became conflated one with another. Follahey herself did not write on the Atlanta incident until that evening, sharing an opinion piece that got shared thousands of times within minutes of print.

 _The Power Rangers would like you to think that they are heroes, but they're really just bullies. Bullies who pick fights with those who are doing little more than what they signed up for: protecting the people. Those boys in camo are the REAL heroes, ladies and gentlemen. THEY fight for us. THEY fight REAL evil. Our soldiers, God bless them, went to these Rangers to enforce the law we clamored for, signed by the people whom we willingly gave power to. OUR government, as well as OUR heroes, are being bullied by people who are too COWARDLY to so much as show their faces to the world! What do they have to hide behind those visors? Turbans? Hijabs? I say it's time to unmask the Power Rangers! It is time for the Power Rangers to be made to pay for their crimes!_

 _For every soldier they hurt!_

 _For every man, woman, and child made homeless by their recklessness!_

 _FOR THE PEOPLE THEY KILLED DURING THE CRISIS! A CRISIS THOSE RANGERS CAUSED, EXACERBATED BY THE LIMP WRISTED LIBERAL GOVERNMENT OF FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!_

 _We, the TRUE patriots of these United States, demand justice!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 8: The Weight of the World**

Mack and Rose sat next to each other on the floor, her head on his lap, his hand stroking her hair ever so gently. The room was dark and musty, sparsely decorated, with only a grandfather clock against the wall. The clock read 20 minutes past three, but it was 20 minutes behind.

"The University's no longer taking my calls," Rose finally broke the silence. "I'm officially Persona non Grata."

"Damn..." said Mack. "That's terrible, babe. I'm sorry."

"It's OK," said Rose.

"No it's not," said Mack. "You didn't deserve that. None of you guys deserve this."

"But what can we do?" Asked Rose. She got up, looking Mack in the eye. "There's nothing we can do. We registered, and what did that get us?"

"I don't know..." Mack said, sighing. "I sold out the Jungle Furies. They are pissed at me, and I don't blame them. Hell, I'm pissed at myself."

"Honey, I know how you feel," Rose kissed Mack on the lips. "But trust me, you did NOT want the alternative to happen. That general was going to find out who they were anyway, but by snitching on them, you spared them from getting really, really hurt."

"I keep telling myself that," said Mack. "Especially after what you told me about Piedra del Diablo. Damn, that was messed up."

"I know," Rose said as she laid her head on Mack's lap once more.

Many minutes pass between the two in silence. Mack does nothing but stroke Rose's hair, a blank expression on his face. Rose herself looks deep and pensive, troubled by a thousand different things.

"I was happy," said Rose. "This morning. Unemployment is dropping by another half a percent. Sears is really fixing the economy."

"Yeah," Mack let out a bitter half-laugh. "He's a real hero."

"Yeah," Rose let out a half-hearted chuckle. "He's giving us so much. Unlike us, who didn't even try at all."

Mack stopped playing with Rose's hair, looking her right in the eyes. Rose gets up, turning her back on Mack.

"I still think about her," said Rose. "That little girl over at Silver Hills. She had this cute pet cat she called Kitty. Not very imaginative, I know."

Mack frowned; he knew where this was going.

"She got sick," Rose kept narrating. "Really sick. I didn't know what to do for her. Her parents begged me for help. Begged!"

Mack could not utter a single word.

"She was dying, Mack," Rose's face was wet with tears. "And for all my supposed smarts, there wasn't a damn thing I could do for her, or for anyone."

Mack got up from the floor, walking towards his intended to hug her. Embracing Rose, Mack's eyes began to well up with tears.

"It was so beyond stupid," Rose kept narrating. "I could write a goddamn book on Atlantis, or the galaxy, or even build a robot. But I didn't have the knowledge needed to make medicine for someone who needed it. She was only six, Mack!"

"I know, Rose," Mack said, crying. "I'm sorry."

"We shouldn't have to be burying kids, Mack," Rose also began to cry. "Why did I waste my life studying anything besides medicine? Why didn't I become a medic? I was smart enough for it!"

"It's not your fault," Mack whispered to Rose. "It's never been your fault..."

Meanwhile...

Billy Cranston walked through the ruins of Angel Grove. There was no other sign of life; not birds, rats, not even cockroaches. The buildings that once stood tall, now lay in ruins. Many of them crumbled, some still standing, but lifelessly, as if waiting for the weather to finally bring them down. Each corner echos a time now long gone, a time when the city was vibrant, full of life. But no longer was that Angel Grove. It was all desolate and barren now, save for one man. Billy took everything in, every sight of what had once been his home. But he didn't stop, for he had a destination to get to.

It was very apt; a graveyard in the middle of the ruins. Like the rest of Angel Grove, there was no sign of life. Billy walked towards a particular grave. Upon reaching his destination, he fell to his knees.

 _Trini Kwan_

 _1978-2005_

 _Beloved friend, wife, and daughter._

 _She left us too soon._

Tears fell down Billy's face. As he caressed the grave stone, he reminisced on the day he lost Trini, the worst day of his life.

 _Billy took off his helmet, tears on his face, horror in his eyes. He holds onto Trini as the blood flows out the gash on her abdomen, spilling all over her Ranger suit. He is soon surrounded by the rest of the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers: Zack, Tommy, Kimberly, Jason._

" _Did we...stop him?" Trini asked, coughing up blood. "Did...we...stop...Dregon?"_

" _We sure did, Trini," Billy said, crying. Kimberly is also crying, while the rest of the men fight back tears. "It's OK. We'll get you some help."_

" _And...Dex?" Trini said, losing energy. "Is...he..."_

 _And those were her final words. Her body fell limp and lifeless, as Billy kept nudging her, begging her not to leave him. As Zack tried consoling Kimberly, Jason and Tommy walked towards Dex' corpse, picking up the Masked Rider to lay him to rest next to his wife, Trini._

"There isn't a day where I don't wish you were back here,"- said Billy, tears running down his face. "Trini? Can I tell you something?"

Billy sat down next to Trini's grave. He smiles a bit, but it's an empty smile. "I did a bad thing, Trini. A very bad thing."

Billy hesitated for a second, but then continued. "I killed some people. It wasn't in self defense, but it wasn't done willy nilly either. They were..."

Billy held back some tears. "They were bad people. We told them to stop fighting each other. They were fighting each other over food. I tried telling them there was enough for everyone. That they could all share..."

Billy started staring into space, but then shook his head. "They started behaving like wild animals. They started hurting each other, hurting the kids. I took out my blaster. I only meant to scare them, but..."

Billy's tears fell down again. "I hadn't slept for three days by that point. My aim was off. I meant to shoot the ground, but I shot someone instead. She died, almost instantly. I couldn't believe what I had done, but then I started doing it more and more. I killed almost all of them, without thinking!"

Billy started crying. "They were tearing each other apart, Trini! I tried keeping order, but they wouldn't listen! They WANTED to kill each other! They WANTED death! And I gave it to them! I gave them what they WANTED!"

Billy's scream echoed across the ruins. He composed himself, getting up.

"This world is sick, Trini," Billy said. "And I'm sick, too. I'm dying, Trini. I can't live without this, and I mean literally."

Billy took out a bottle of water. It is the Miracle Water of Aquitar. "This water eases my pain, Trini. It helps prevent my body from destroying itself. I...have a condition..."

Billy sighed. "I'm sick, the Power Rangers are sick. The whole world is sick, Trini. I've seen some things, done some things, that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Billy began to walk away from the gravestone. The wind howled, as if in mourning. The Sun began to set. The tears in Billy's eyes had dried up, his sorrow has now given way to a steely resolve.

At the outskirts of the ruins of Angel Grove, where Billy had left his Ninja Wolf Zord, he ran into a rabid dog. As the dog approached Billy, he took out his blaster, killing the sick animal in one shot.


	10. Chapter 10

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 9: Gathering the Hunters**

Taylor was sitting in her and Eric's apartment in Silver Hills, sipping a cup of coffee. It was 3:12 AM; the kitchen was lit by the sole lightbulb on the ceiling. The fridge was half empty, with a few vegetables, some cheese, and many water bottles. There is not much food in the cupboards, mostly a few tins, some bread. The cutlery and the dishes were all clean, though.

Eric entered the kitchen, yawning. He sat across Taylor, who flashed him a smile.

"You slept at least two hours," Taylor said. "That's when I woke up."

"You were asleep by 10, and I went to bed by 11," Eric said, smiling. "So that means you slept three, maybe four hours."

"We're getting better," Taylor said, smiling. "We're almost OK."

"Almost," Eric replied, smiling half heartedly. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in years. Not since the Crisis started."

"Neither have I," Taylor's smile was disappearing. "But hey, at least we're sleeping every night now."

"At our rate, I think we'll both have a good night's sleep in five months," Eric replied with a half hearted chuckle. He scratched his head, causing Taylor to get tense. "Relax, babe. It's not falling out anymore."

"I know," Taylor sighed. "It took me a whole year for mine to grow back."

"Yeah," Eric said. A knock on the door. "At this hour?"

"Don't answer," Taylor said. "No one should be knocking at this hour."

"Miss Earhardt," the voice of Wade Miles came from outside the door to Eric and Taylor's apartment. "Your country needs you."

"General?" Taylor spoke out. "Please, wait a minute!"

Taylor rushed to the bedroom she and Eric shared, grabbed some pants, put them on, then rushed back to the door. She opened the door, saluting. "How may I serve my homeland?"

"Yesterday we've received reports of three instances of Power Rangers refusing to cooperate with the authorities," said General Miles. "Some even used force on our boys."

"That's terrible!" Eric said, rushing to be by Taylor's side. "How'd this happen?"

"According to an official report," Miles hesitated for a fraction of a second. "One of the Rangers morphed unprovoked, causing a panic. A soldier tried shooting the Ranger, but the bullet got reflected and hit him in the eye, permanently damaging it."

"So awful," Taylor sighed, then straightened herself. "General, you can count on me to hunt them down."

"Good," Wade Miles saluted Taylor. "I expect you to take a team of three Rangers with you. Minimum."

"I'll ask the rest of my team," said Taylor. "I'm sure they'll help me out."

"If they won't," Wade Miles said. "I've prepared a meeting with the Lightspeed and Overdrive teams. Sergeant, we expect great results from you, the very first Ranger to do her patriotic duty in registering."

"My country can always count on me," said Taylor, saluting. With that, Wade Miles left.

"Taylor," Eric spoke up. "Please, be careful."

"I will, sweetie," said Taylor, kissing him. Her hands, however, were shaking.

"I wish I could help," said Eric. "But my morpher..."

"I know, babe," said Taylor. Eric's morpher had ceased to work a year before. The cause, unknown.

That afternoon...

Taylor sighed to herself as she met with the rest of the Wild Force. The Wild Force, sans Merrick, were meeting at Taylor's apartment.

"I'm sorry, Taylor," Max said, shaking. "I mean, after the government made me give up who the Ninja Storm Rangers were, I'm..."

"It's OK, Max," Taylor said. "I don't blame you."

"I can't do it, Taylor," said Danny. "Kendall's sick, you know? I need to be beside her if... _when_ she goes..."

"I get it," Taylor's voice cracked a bit.

"I don't have anyone to take care of the kids," said Alyssa. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," said Taylor, half smiling.

"Taylor, look," Cole said, getting up from his seat. "I want to help you, I really do. But..."

"No, Cole," said Taylor. "No excuses, please. I know what I'm asking, and I know NONE of you are comfortable with it. I'm not entirely comfortable with it. I won't force any of you to help me. This is something that I'm choosing to do as a soldier of the United States of America, not as a Power Ranger."

"I'm sorry," said Cole as he and the other Wild Force Rangers left the apartment.

Taylor sighed to herself. She plopped down on her sofa, looking at the clock on the wall. It was 2 PM; she had been up for 11 hours. Her cellphone began to ring.

"Sergeant," the voice of Wade Miles was at the other end of the line. "We got you two more Rangers. Report at the Reefside Federal Office in five hours. Dismissed."

That night...

Reefside Federal Office, at 7:15 PM. Taylor drove up to the office, a few minutes late. Her hair is combed and tied up in a bun; she wore an Air Force blazer. She marched towards the front desk, where her eyes widened at her two new teammates: Chad Lee and Mack Hartford.

"Taylor," Chad nodded. "I'll be volunteering for this mission."

"Me too," said Mack.

"Why?" Taylor asked, crossing her arms. "Chad, I'll be honest. I expected Carter."

"He and Dana had a situation," Chad said, lowering his gaze to the floor. "It's..."

"Oh," Taylor's gaze softened. "Not another one..."

"Third time," Chad said, his voice cracking a bit. "They really thought this time she'd carry a baby to full term."

"Wow, I'm so sorry," Mack said, his eyes getting moist.

"Why are you here?" Taylor asked Mack.

"Way I figured," Mack explained. "If an Overdrive Ranger helped bring down the bad Power Rangers who've been hurting the soldiers, people would like us again and..."

"And your teammate's lives would go back to normal?" Asked Chad. "Mack, that's a long shot!"

"But it's still a shot!" Said Mack. "Do you even know what it's like? I've got them all living with me, and I haven't so much as seen ANY of them smile this whole year! Their lives are ruined!"

"I get it," Taylor said. "Mack, your loyalty to your team is commendable. I'm not entirely convinced your plan will work, though, but I completely understand and accept your intentions. Chad, what about you? Why are YOU volunteering?"

"Nobody else could," Chad said, his eyes saddened. "Ryan and Joel are still in the hospital, and Kelsey and Nancy are out of the country trying to start a family. I'm the only one capable of helping."

"Do you want to?" Taylor asked.

"Well..." Chad breathed in. "It doesn't matter, because this mission is more important than how I feel about it. Taylor, lead the way. We'll follow."

"I guess it's time to go," Mack said, grabbing his morpher.

"You two go on ahead," said Taylor. "I'll meet you outside. I want the two of you mentally prepared; we might actually have to get physical with these rogue Rangers."

"We understand," said Chad as he and Mack stepped outside. Taylor sighed, running her hand through her hair. She looked at her hand, noticing many strands of loose hair.

"Maybe bald would be a good look for me," she said, tears threatening to form in her eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 10: Comrades**

The six Mu Rangers were sitting in an abandoned motel's parking lot, after searching for a room that still had at least a bed to sleep in. The motel was only recently abandoned; not yet marked for demolition, it was most likely dropped by an owner deep in debt. The parking lot was completely empty; not a car to be found.

"None of these rooms have beds," said Kenneth, sighing. "Guess it's the floor tonight."

"I'm sorry, guys," said Blaise as he rested his head on Wind's shoulder. "If not for me, we'd be home right now."

"Or prison, the way those soldiers were acting," said Jason. "They really, really wanted to take us in."

"One would have even killed me!" Bella exclaimed, causing Arthur and Kenneth to visibly wince. "Relax, guys! I'm fine!"

"If we had a car, we could reach my aunt's place in three hours," said Blaise. "But..."

"We can't use our Zords, we'd attract too much attention," said Bella, deep in thought. Then she snapped her fingers. "Wait a minute! Blaise, your aunt's a psychic, too! Can't you communicate with her telepathically?"

Blaise's eyes widened, his smile broadening to the point it went ear to ear. "Why didn't I think of that before? Hold on-"

"No need, Blaise," said Bella, pointing to a car approaching the motel. "Ain't that her?"

"Auntie D!" Blaise said as he waved at the car. It was a pink Oldsmobile, 1977. A woman stepped out of the car; she was in her mid 50's and she had silver hair that reached to her shoulders. She had some crow's feet and a few wrinkles around her lips, but she otherwise could easily pass for someone younger.

"I hope I'm not late, Blaise," said the woman, smiling at her nephew. She then turned to the others and said- "Hello kids, I'm Diane Martin. A pleasure to finally meet the Mu Rangers."

She turned to Jason, smiling. "And it is also a pleasure to meet the Mighy Morphing Red Ranger."

"Well, I'm one of them," said Jason, smiling sheepishly. "Anyway, Blaise told me you could help us?"

"I'm afraid my help is rather limited," Diane said, sadness in her voice. "But I can take you home, offer you food and shelter."

"That's more than we could ever ask of you," said Jason.

"Thank you, Miss Martin," said Bella, shaking Diane's hand. Then the two hugged,

"You two know each other?" Asked Jason.

"Sure do! She's one of the reasons I ever wanted to become a Power Ranger!" Said Bella.

"I used to babysit this beautiful girl," said Diane, kissing Bella on her forehead. "Oh, the memories."

Meanwhile...

"There are three Ranger teams we need to find," said Taylor as she, Mack, and Chad were being flown to Clear Waves. "The Mystic Force, the Jungle Fury, and the Mu Rangers."

"I thought the first two had already registered," said Chad.

"No, there are still some holdouts," said Taylor, taking out a folder. "We've got Vida who's MIA, Casey's openly defied the US Army AND he's made it clear he's willing to fight us, it's a huge mess."

"And the Mu Rangers?" Asked Chad.

"Fully missing," said Taylor. "They've been gone for two days now and no one can find them. Worst part is no one knows who they are."

"Leave it to me," said Mack. He took out his cellphone, calling Rose. "Babe? What can you tell me about the Mu Rangers?"

Mack and Rose spoke on the phone for twenty minutes, with Taylor listening intently. Mack hung up the phone, a smile on his face.

"Leave it to my girl to put US Intelligence to shame," Mack said, rather smugly. "Major scoop, guys."

"Well, go on!" Taylor said, standing up from her seat. Chad looks at Mack, stunned.

"You guys might not know this, but it turns out Jason Lee Scott moved to Clear Waves," Mack said, a smile on his face. "The same town the Mu Rangers were active in."

"You have my attention," said Chad.

"His move to Clear Waves coincides with the appearance of the Mu Rangers," said Mack. "He somehow snagged a job as a teacher at the local high school."

"Sounds familiar," smiled Taylor. "Dino Thunder, anyone?"

"It gets better," Mack continued. "Rose managed, in 20 minutes, to determine the identity of one of the Mu Rangers."

Mack gave his phone to Taylor, showing her pictures on Facebook. In one, Bella and Jason are standing next to each other, smiling, as she holds a trophy. "See this girl? She appears in four other photographs with Jason. Keep an eye on the color she's wearing."

"Red," Taylor observed. "She's wearing red in all these pictures. And Jason himself is wearing green."

"Check out these pictures of her, without Jason," Mack said, pointing out to other pictures of Bella. "Red, red, and red again."

"I see," said Chad. "No way this is a coincidence. We Power Rangers do tend to dress up in our Ranger colors a lot."

"Her name is Isabella Black," said Mack. "Aged 18, she lives in 15 Harmony Road, Clear Waves, Delaware. We have a name, a face, and an address."

"I don't feel comfortable with this," said Chad. "She was a minor during her tenure as a Ranger."

"Not a minor anymore," said Taylor. "We're going to investigate her house."

"OK," said Mack, preparing himself.

"Hey Mack," said Taylor, smiling. "Pretty smart gal you've got. I hear you put a ring on it?"

"Yup," said Mack, nodding his head. "We're tying the knot pretty soon."

"Good on you," said Taylor. "Marriage ain't my thing; Eric and me, we're happy as we are. But Mack, I'll certainly write Rose's contribution to this mission on my report. Don't be surprised if she gets a job offer from the government."

"That would be great," Mack said with a smile. "Life's been hard for her lately, you know?"

"It's going to get better very soon," Taylor said, smiling.

"My girlfriend's a mermaid," Chad said. An awkward silence fell between the Rangers. "I wanted to add to the conversation..."

At 1 PM the three Rangers managed to find Bella's house. They enter, showing Bella's father the search warrant that allowed the Rangers to search the house. As they entered, the phone rang.

"Let the answering machine take it," said Taylor.

"Hi, this is the Blacks," said the voice of Bella's birth father. "Leave a message!"

"Hey pop, it's Bella, just letting you know I'm OK. I'm not dead or anything," Bella spoke to the answering machine. "I'm over at Diane's house. You remember Diane Martin, my old babysitter? I'm staying with her for a while."

"What the hell's going on?" Asked Bella's father, tears in his eyes.

"I know you're worried about me, pop. I know you've read the news. It's true what happened, all of it," Bella continued. "But I'm OK, my friends are OK, and we're going to be safe here, OK? I love you, pop."

And so Bella hung up. Taylor turned to Bella's father, her eyes as cold as steel. "She mentioned a woman named Diane Martin. What's her address?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 11: No More Heroes**

The six Mu Rangers had finally finished telling Diane Martin their story. She slowly pulled up her driveway, shaken by what she had heard.

"I should have known this would happen eventually," she said, her hands shaking. "This country's been going to hell in a hand basket since the 80's."

"It's a mess," said Jason pensively. "I feel as though this won't blow over soon."

"Nope," said Diane. "One thing you gotta learn about the government: once they want something, they won't stop till they get it. This isn't the first time the government's made enemies of the Power Rangers."

"What do you mean?" Asked Arthur. He and Ken are the last to get out of the car, which was actually a pretty cramped ride.

"I was a Power Ranger back in the late 70's," said Diane. "We called ourselves the Earth Defense Team. We were an international team of superheroes."

"I've never heard of you guys," said Jason. "No offense."

"Well, considering that we sort of failed to live up to what we were designed to do," Diane let out a bitter chuckle. "We were supposed to demonstrate the spirit of International Brotherhood, so to speak. It was the idea that all the nations of the world could come together and live in PEACE. We were five heroes from five very different nations."

Diane opened the door to her house. She walked towards a glass case where a picture of five Rangers sat. These five Rangers are the Earth Defense Team. (Author's Note: the suits are from Battle Fever J)

"These are the five of us," said Diane, pointing to each member of the team. "That's Red Japan, our leader. Great fellow. The blue guy is code named Blue France, and that's Black Kenya; pair of alright guys, they were. The guy in orange is called Orange Soviet, nice old fellow. And that's me, Pink America."

"Why does your helmet have a wig?" Asked Arthur, causing Blaise to give him the stink eye.

"Like Blaise, I'm blessed with a particular set of skills not many have," said Diane. "The power coursing through these suits made my powers much more potent. The 'wig' was there to help control my abilities."

"That's awesome," said Jason with a smile. "So what happened to you guys?"

"We were disbanded," said Diane, her smile turning to a scowl. "Old Ronnie Raygun decided he didn't like the US and the USSR cooperating with ANYTHING, so he pulled out of the Project. Then the USSR pulled out, then France, and finally the project was just folded up and forgotten about."

"What?" Kenneth asked, incredulous.

"Ronald Reagan wanted to show the world he was a tough hombre who didn't tolerate no commie," said Diane rather bitterly. "A week after he disbanded us, he started his tough guy talk on the Soviet Union. Raised the military budget through the roof, and eventually told Gorby to tear down that wall."

Diane scoffed, then gave out a bitter chuckle. "He put Nelson Mandela on the Terror list, supported the Contras in Nicaragua, and ignored the AIDS epidemic, but somehow people STILL look up to him. My team and I, we were doing some REAL good in the world!"

"I'm sorry," Jason weakly said. "It must have been tough."

"Kid, let me tell you something," said Diane. "I know stuff that nobody is supposed to know. If Americans knew HALF of what I knew about the government, there would be a second Civil War! If the other nations of the world knew what I know, they would ALL declare war on the US!"

"Jesus Christ, lady," Wind exclaimed, shocked and horrified. "You for real?"

"Sure am, kiddo," said Diane. "Listen to me; this situation will NOT blow over for you, not by a long shot. But I've got friends that can help you; we can fake all of your deaths and you kids can start new lives elsewhere."

"No way," said Jason. "That's not something I'm willing to do at all."

"Neither am I," said Bella, crossing her arms. The other Mu Rangers also crossed their arms in agreement, except Blaise.

"Guys, we might not have a choice," said Blaise. "I mean, we're wanted criminals now, for all intents and purposes."

"We haven't done anything worth going to jail for," said Jason. "No way in hell am I running from someone who wants to lock me up over something stupid like 'failing to register,'"

"But-" Blaise tried to protest.

"But nothing," said Jason. "Blaise, if this is something YOU want to do, go ahead. I won't stop you. But keep this in mind: it's YOUR decision, not ours."

"Jason, sweetie?" Diane interrupted. "Please, listen to an old vet in this regard. When I tell you to run, what I mean is that you'd BETTER run if you value your life! You don't know the government like I-"

At that moment Diane Martin fainted; had Jason not caught her, she would have fallen to the floor. Ten minutes pass; all the Mu Rangers surround Diane with worried faces.

"You have," Diane finally spoke up as she opens her eyes. "Three minutes to leave. They're coming. They know where you are."

"What?" Jason asked, horrified. "What's going on?"

"Forget that, Jason, RUN!" Blaise exclaimed. "I'll stay with my aunt, the rest of you get out of here!"

"OK, OK!" Jason and the rest of the Mu Ranger rushed outside the house. The sound of approaching helicopters alerted the Rangers to the coming danger. "Oh God, they're almost here."

"Let's split up!" Bella ordered. "They can't catch all of us that way!"

"Good idea!" Said Arthur as he ran.

"I concur," said Kenneth as he ran the opposite direction.

"Jason," Bella looked at Jason. "Be safe."

"You too," said Jason. He watched as Bella ran, her silhouette disappearing into the woods close to Diane's home. Only Jason and Wind remained.

"I don't want to leave Blaise alone, you know?" Wind said, tears in her eyes. "He's my best friend."

"I know how you feel," said Jason, drying Wind's face. "I'll stay with you two."

Bella ran as fast as she could. The forest itself was dark, but the sounds of helicopters grew louder by the second. She knew she'd never be able to outrun them, but she could hide. As she approached an old tree stump, she tripped. As she tried to get up, a search light shone on her. A dozen armed soldiers surrounded her in an instant. She gulped; this was it for her.

"Isabella Black," Taylor's voice was heard coming from a megaphone. "I'm placing you under arrest for failure to register, failure to cooperate with the authorities, and injuring a soldier."

Bella raised her hands in surrender. She knew she was outnumbered and outgunned; morphing would merely escalate the situation.

Kenneth sat down on a rock, attempting to catch his breath. For a brief instant he wondered how the other Rangers were doing.

"I hope Arthur's OK," he said with a sigh. Unbeknownst to him, his brother had at that moment been captured by Chad Lee, the Blue Lightspeed Ranger. A helicopter hovered overhead. Kenneth looked up and saw Mack, morphed and ready to go, leaping down from the helicopter.

"We saw you," said Mack. "That lady's house was wiretapped; we know who you are. Just come with me quietly, OK?"

"No way!" Kenneth angrily yelled out. "I've done nothing worth arresting me for!"

"Then why are you running away?" Asked Mack.

"Why the hell are you CHASING ME!?" Kenneth roared. He took out his Medal and morphed into the Yellow Mu Ranger. Wielding the Mu Trident, he aimed said Trident directly at Mack. "Now go away unless you want to get hurt!"

"Boy, this is a really bad idea!" Mack said, taking out his Drive Lance. "We don't have to fight, and if you de-morph right now I promise I'll make sure they go easy on you!"

"Shove it!" Kenneth yelled as he rushed towards Mack, slashing him with his Trident. Mack's suit threw out sparks, causing him to fall to the ground and roll back half a foot. As he got up, he saw Kenneth get ready for a second slash.

"Kid, you just made a huge mistake." Said Mack as he leaped up from the ground, grabbing his Lance and throwing it at Kenneth. Kenneth couldn't dodge in time, so he took the hit, knocking him back two feet. As Mack landed on the ground he rushed towards the Lance, grabbed it, and with a spinning slash hit Kenneth once more, causing the Yellow Ranger's suit to throw off sparks. Kenneth fell to the ground, with Mack standing over him. With a well placed kick, Kenneth disbalanced Mack, causing the Red Ranger to fall down. Quickly getting up, he opted to run away, as he could hear the sounds of more helicopters coming.

Mack got up, intending to give chase. However, his communicator began to beep.

"Yeah?" Mack answered his communicator.

"We've got Red and Blue," said Chad. "Did you catch Yellow?"

"Nah, he got away," Mack said. "Fought me off; I didn't expect him to do that."

"We told you you needed backup," said Chad. "Oh well, we can probably still catch him."

"We can use my Overdrive Tracker," said Mack. "Come on, let's go catch us a fugitive!"

"You two go," Taylor's voice could be heard in the communicator. "I'm heading over to that lady's house. I'll catch the other three."

"Alright," said Mack, hanging up the call.

Taylor's chopper approached Diane's house. She wasted no time morphing; she knew she needed to do this quick.

"Jason Lee Scott!" Taylor called out as she entered the house. "I know you're here; surrender and I promise you fair treatment!"

No answer. She looked around the house, but nobody was there. The last room she needed to check was Diane's bedroom. She burst in, only to find Diane in bed, smirking.

"They're not here," said Diane. "You can leave."

"Lady, tell me where they are," said Taylor. "If you don't, I'll have you arrested for interfering with-"

"Little girl, I'm the kind of woman you can't touch," Diane said with a smirk. "Go ahead, try and arrest me. But know what? I've got information."

"What kind of information?" Asked Taylor, drawing her Sword.

"The kind that could bring America to its knees," Diane smirked. "I've been working with the government since you were a baby, girl. I've fought wars while your greatest challenge was climbing a crib. I've helped save this world while you were still trying to form words with your mouth. And in all that time, I've learned things."

Diane got up, a smile on her face. She continued, "If you knew just a TENTH of what I know, you would stop this game of yours and-"

At that moment Diane's face began to vibrate. Electric shocks began to course through her head; Taylor watched on, horrified by what she was seeing. In a matter of seconds, Diane Martin's body fell to the ground, her face charred beyond recognition. Taylor demorphed, tears in her eyes. She watched as Diane's body caught on fire; she forced herself to get up and leave. Diane Martin's house burned to the ground, destroying all evidence that she ever existed.

Taylor collapsed on the ground, vomiting rather violently. As Chad and Mack approached her, they ran to her side, concerned for her health. Taylor cried the entire flight back to California; the search for Jason, Blaise, and Wind had been postponed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Power Rangers: Public Enemies**

 **Chapter 12: The Pagliacci Joke**

Billy sat at the bar counter, drinking his beer. The bar was a dive; cigarette smoke filled the air, the floor was made of white tiles that had not seen a mop in months, cockroaches could be seen scampering about the floor eating cigarette ashes and crumbs of overpriced microwave pizza. The stools were made of pine wood and red leather, though most had holes in them with the stuffing coming out. The shot glasses and mugs were just about the only thing clean at this bar., beside the bathroom. The TV hanging over the counter was showing the movie "Top Gun."

"You ever worry about health inspectors?" Billy asked the bartender.

"Nah," she replied. She was a young woman, bleached hair, rather buxom, with a rose tattoo on her left breast. "Thanks to President Sears, the only things we need to keep clean are the glasses and the bathroom."

Billy let out a chuckle; he had to admit, his beer mug was impeccably clean. A cockroach climbed up his pant leg, crawled across his arm, and made its way to the counter. The bartender crushed the cockroach with her hand and then wiped it off. A man entered the bar, tears in his eyes but a smile on his face.

"A number 14, Eliza," said the man. He was a stereotypical biker, complete with ZZ Top style beard, an American flag bandana, and Aviator glasses. "It's done."

"Here you go, Clive," said the bartender, handing him a mug of rum mixed with cherry cola. "Sorry about what happened."

"You OK, buddy?" Asked Billy.

"Finally buried my husband," said the biker. "It was the AIDS."

"My sincerest sympathies," said Billy. "You must have loved him."

"I left the Angels for him," said Clive. "We had twenty good years together."

"Here's to him," said Billy as he raised his beer. "And to you and your memories."

"Here here," said Clive, drinking his Number 14. He turned his attention to the TV. "Hey Eliza, can you change the channel? That movie reminds me of David too much..."

"Your husband?" Billy asked. Eliza changed the TV channel to the news.

"Yup, he loved that movie," Clive said, falling into a deep, pensive state.

Billy looked up the the TV. At that moment, a headline managed to get Billy's attention. He asked the bartender to turn up the volume.

"...three of them were caught this very evening," said the newscaster. "We do not yet know which team these three Rangers belonged to, but our sources indicate they have been apprehended by a trio of Power Rangers that have volunteered to seek out rogue Rangers that have refused to register."

Billy hardened his grip on the beer mug.

"We have received confirmation that these Rangers belong to the Mu Rangers, the team responsible for the wounding of soldier Mickey Campbell," the newscaster said as he read a paper that had been given to him. "The three Rangers will be sent towards Reefside, California, for interrogation. We still have 3 Mu Rangers on the run! Repeat, Rangers are on the run!"

The news shifted towards a blonde, pretty reporter with a wide smile on her face. "At this moment, you may be wondering what to do if you encounter a Power Ranger! Well, the first thing you must remember is to NEVER ENGAGE! A Power Ranger can easily overpower you. Second..."

Billy sighed to himself.

"I never gave it serious thought," said Clive. "The Power Rangers always protected us, but who could protect us from them?"

"That's a damn good question," said Billy. "Reminds me of this joke. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure," Clive said with a sigh.

"A man goes to his doctor, says he's depressed," Billy narrates. "He says 'life seems harsh and cruel.' The doctor says 'treatment is simple: the great clown Pagliacci is playing tonight. That should cheer you up.' And do you know what the man tells the doctor?"

"Don't know," said Clive.

"He said 'but doctor, I'm Pagliacci!'" Billy said with a snicker.

"Then what?" Asked Clive.

"That's the punchline," said Billy.

"I don't get it," said Clive.

"It's like this: Pagliacci is who people turn to when they need a pick-me-up," Billy explained. "But when he needs a smile, who does Pagliacci turn to?"

A deafening silence fell between Clive and Billy. The latter decided to get up and leave, bidding adieu to the mourning biker. The streets of Briarwood have gotten much harder since the Crisis. Where once was Main Street was now row after row of closed stores, abandoned properties, and crack dens. Billy walked the streets alone, completely aware that a would-be mugger was trailing him. He turned around, giving the mugger a glare.

"Try it," he said. "You'll regret it."

The mugger's eyes widened; he turned around and fled. Billy spat at the ground; he noticed an alien digging around the trash. The alien, Piggy, gave Billy a cold stare as he took a bite out of an empty burger container.

"Good trash?" Billy asked.

"Can't complain," Piggy responded. "Used to be better trash around here, but this city's gone downhill the last few years."

"I'm aware," said Billy. "Even the Mystic Force have left."

"Ah well," said Piggy, taking another bite out of the burger container. "By the way, have anything good on ya?"

"No," Billy said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Goodbye."

"Wait, wait!" Piggy called out. "I ask because there's something I know that you might be interested in!"

"Fat chance," Billy said as he kept walking.

"Billy, please!" Piggy called out. "It's about the Gaia Crystal!"

Billy stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to Piggy, a thousand questions in his mind. "How do you-"

"EVERY alien knows who you are, Blue Ranger," said Piggy. "And more importantly, I'm a rat with his ears on the streets. I know things, and for a small fee, I can tell you something good."

"Talk," Billy glared at Piggy. "Now."

"And what are you willing to-" Piggy did not finish his sentence, for Billy had taken out a blaster and pointed it directly at Piggy's forehead. "OK OK! Close to the ruins of Angel Grove is a new military base! I've heard talk from a buddy of mine that a bunch of soldiers are playing around with the Crystal of Gaia!"

"There's six of them, I doubt they'd have gotten them all," said Billy. "Especially since I gave one to some good friends of mine."

"Well, I don't know about THAT," said Piggy. "But I CAN tell you that if you go to where the Command Center used to be, you'll find the base there, alongside the Crystal."

"I'll check it out," Billy said, putting his blaster down. He took off his watch and gave it to Piggy. "You can pawn that off, get a few bucks for it."

"I think I'll buy a bus ticket to New Tech City," said Piggy. "Bustling new town, lots of aliens. Guaranteed to be plenty of garbage!"

"Good call," Billy said as he gave Piggy a thumbs up. He summoned his Ninja Wolf Zord, using it to get to Angel Grove as quickly as he could.

What he saw turned his stomach upside down. The ruins of the Command Center had been turned into a military base, just as Piggy said.

"Trini, are you seeing this?" Billy whispered to himself as tears streamed down his face, his scowl contorting into a savage sneer. "The Command Center...a fortress of Good in the world...turned into a military...a MILITARY BASE!"


End file.
